Self-calibrating optical detector

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure includes systems and methods for calibration of an optical sensor package, including setting an initial detection threshold of a detector, gradually increasing a power level of a signal generator that is in communication with a detector to cause a detected power at the detector to exceed the initial detection threshold, storing in a memory a first power level of the signal generator at which the detected power at the detector exceeds the initial detection threshold, and adjusting the initial detection threshold of the detector to an adjusted detection threshold to include a detection buffer amount within the adjusted detection threshold.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/170,511 filed Jun. 1, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/343,657 filed May 31, 2016, thedisclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present description relates, in general, to systems and techniquesfor self-calibrating optical sensor packages used to detect changes in atarget medium.

BACKGROUND

In various industries there is a need for sensor packages that are ableto detect changes in materials passing between a signal generator and adetector at a high rate of speed. For example, a user may wish to counta number of adhesive labels affixed to a strip of backing paper whilerunning a sheet of backing paper with adhesive labels affixed to oneside through a sensor package. By sensing the change in transparencybetween the label and the backing paper, the sensor package may detecteach label as it passes between the signal generator (e.g., a lightemitting diode) and the detector (e.g., a photodectector).

The change that the sensor package is looking for may be extremelysmall, requiring very sensitive detection. In some applications, thischange may be small enough that variances in manufacture of parts of thesensor package, variances in temperature of the sensor package,variations in the path of the materials as they pass through the sensorpackage, etc. could result in errors in detection. It is thereforenecessary to calibrate the sensor package to the particular environmentit is being used in and with the particular components that the sensorpackage has been assembled from. Typically, this calibration is donemanually and one time permanent adjustments are made to the sensorpackage based on testing in the target environment. It is thereforedesirable to improve upon this method of calibration.

SUMMARY

It is therefore desirable to have systems and methods that allowself-calibration of sensor packages by setting a detection threshold fora detector, ramping up the power level of a signal generator so that thedetector receives signal energy that exceeds the detection thresholdunder normal operating conditions, and adding a detection buffer amountinto the detection threshold to ensure that detection will occur evenwith variances in the system that reduce the signal energy received atthe detector.

In one aspect of the disclosure, a method of calibration includessetting, by a controller, an initial detection threshold of a detector.The method further includes gradually increasing a power level of asignal generator, the signal generator being in communication with thedetector and the controller, causing a detected power at the detector toexceed the initial detection threshold. The method further includesstoring in a memory, by the controller, a first power level of thesignal generator at which the detected power at the detector exceeds theinitial detection threshold. The method further includes adjusting, bythe controller after the power level of the signal generator reaches thefirst power level, the initial detection threshold of the detector to anadjusted detection threshold to include a detection buffer amount withinthe adjusted detection threshold.

In another aspect of the disclosure, a computer program product has acomputer readable medium tangibly recording computer program logic forcalibrating a detector and a signal generator. The computer programproduct includes code to receive, from a user, a detection thresholdsetting signal including the initial detection threshold. The computerprogram product further includes code to receive, from the user, acalibration signal instructing the computer program product to begingradually increasing the power level of the signal generator. Thecomputer program product further includes code to receive, from theuser, a threshold change signal including the user-programmable amountto adjust the initial detection threshold by.

In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a computing device includes amemory containing machine readable medium comprising machine executablecode having stored thereon instructions for performing a method ofcalibrating a sensor and a signal generator. The computing devicefurther includes a processor coupled to the memory, the processorconfigured to execute the machine executable code to cause the processorto set an initial detection threshold of the sensor. The processor isfurther configured to execute the machine executable code to graduallyincrease a power level of the signal generator, the signal generatorbeing in communication with the sensor, causing a detected power at thesensor to exceed the initial detection threshold. The processor isfurther configured to execute the machine executable code to store in amemory a first power level of the signal generator at which the detectedpower at the sensor exceeds the initial detection threshold. Theprocessor is further configured to execute the machine executable codeto adjust the initial detection threshold, after the signal generatorreaches the first power level, of the sensor to an adjusted detectionthreshold to include a detection buffer amount within the adjusteddetection threshold.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an illustration of an optical sensor package according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is an illustration of an alternative optical sensor packageaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a control system of the optical sensorpackage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a state diagram for the operation of astate machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a block diagram of a method forself-calibration of the sensor package according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5A is an illustration of a graph of power received at a photodiodeat room temperature.

FIG. 5B is an illustration of a graph of power received at a photodiodeat elevated temperature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below, in connection with theappended drawings, is intended as a description of variousconfigurations and is not intended to represent the only configurationsin which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detaileddescription includes specific details for the purpose of providing athorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may bepracticed without these specific details.

The present disclosure describes systems and methods forself-calibration of a sensor system including a signal generator and adetector in order to detect changes in a target medium. For simplicity,the embodiments described herein will use an optical sensor packageusing a light emitting diode (LED) as the signal generator and aphotodiode as the detector, although the scope of embodiments mayinclude any appropriate signal generator or photon detector.

In certain applications, the sensor package may be used to detect smallchanges in light received at the photodiode. For example, the differencein transparency (or transmittance) between a label affixed to a backingpaper and the backing paper itself may be very small. The sensor packageshould be able to sense this slight change in transparency. However, thechange may be so small that variations in manufacturing of the sensorpackage and variations in the environment may cause false detections.For example, variations in the LED output or photodiode sensitivity,variations in the lens of the LED package or the photodiode package,variations in the placement of the LED or photodiode within the sensorpackage, variations in temperature in the sensor package, variations inthe path of the target medium through the sensor package, etc. may eachalone or in combination be enough to cause detection errors.

In order to prevent detection errors due to these variations, it isdesirable to calibrate the sensor package. In an exemplary embodiment,the sensor package is designed to self-calibrate. Self-calibration maybe initiated by a command from a user, or may be automatic upon poweringon the sensor package. In some embodiments a user may supply variousparameters to the sensor package before calibration, as will be furtherdescribed below.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe systems and methods forcalibrating an optical sensor package to detect a change between twotarget materials as they pass by the sensor. Upon receiving acalibration request, the output power of an LED is ramped up until lightfrom the LED that is received at a photodiode exceeds a pre-setdetection threshold. The LED power level at which detection occurred isthen saved as a calibration parameter. When operating the sensor packageusing the above detection threshold and LED power level to sense targetmaterials, however, variations in the system which lower the amount oflight received at the photodiode even a small amount will lower thereceived light below the detection threshold, resulting in a failure todetect when desired.

To solve this problem, a detection buffer amount is provided byadjusting the detection threshold by an amount that exceeds expectedvariations. For example, if variations might reduce the amount of lightreceived at the photodiode by up to 15%, then lowering the detectionthreshold by 20% ensures that variations will not cause the receivedlight level to drop below the detection threshold. In this example, thedetection buffer amount is the 5% difference between the adjusteddetection threshold and the expected effects of variation on thedetector.

Of course, the percentages given above are examples, as other systemsmay include different detection buffer amounts as appropriate. Invarious embodiments, an appropriate detection buffer amount may becalculated or acquired through testing, simulation, or other means,allowing the detection threshold to be adjusted so that the differencebetween the effects of variation and the adjusted detection thresholdreduces the chances of false detection to a level that is acceptable fora particular application. The adjusted detection threshold is saved as acalibration parameter. When the optical sensor package is powered on,for example after a loss of power, the LED power level and adjusteddetection threshold are applied so that re-calibration is not necessary.

One embodiment of the disclosure includes a controller that has memoryaddresses for storing calibrated values and for storingcomputer-readable code to use those calibrated values during normaldetection operation. In one example, a user begins a calibrationoperation by setting a first threshold for detection in a memory addressin the controller. The system then verifies the first threshold byramping up an amplifier level of a signal generator until the detectordetects the signal reaching the first threshold. If the detector doesnot detect the signal using the first threshold, then the user maychange the first threshold so that the signal may be detected with anoperating range of the signal generator based on its available amplifierlevels.

The calibration operation continues, assuming that the first thresholdlevel has been verified with a successful detection, by the controllerstoring the amplifier level corresponding to a point where the firstthreshold level is reached. The user may then adjust the detection levelby setting a second detection threshold having a detection buffer amounttherein. The detection buffer is explained in further detail below, andin this embodiment it corresponds to an amount representing a differencebetween effects of expected variation and the second threshold level sothat false detections and/or lack of detections are avoided. Thecontroller then stores the amplifier level and the second threshold inmemory addresses that are used during normal operation of thecontroller. Upon reboot or at some other appropriate later time, thecontroller then uses the amplifier level and the second threshold toperform detection, and the detection buffer amount built into the secondthreshold should reduce or minimize undesirable operation that wouldotherwise be caused by variation.

Referring now to FIG. 1A, there is illustrated an optical sensor package100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In thisembodiment, the sensor package 100 includes an LED 102 and a photodiode104, with a slot 106 between them, through which a target medium 108 maybe passed as indicated by the directional arrow 110. In someembodiments, the LED 102 may be an infrared (IR) LED or otherappropriate wavelength. The LED 102 outputs light directed towardsphotodiode 104. As the target medium 108 passes through the slot 106,the amount of light transmitted through the target medium 108 changesdepending upon the transmittance of the portion of the target medium 108that is between LED 102 and photodiode 104. In some embodiments, a firstportion 112 of target medium 108 may be more opaque or more reflectivethan a second portion 114 of the target medium 108. For example, thetarget medium 108 may be a strip of backing paper with adhesive labelsattached to it. In this example, the labels are a first portion 112 ofthe target medium 108 that is more opaque than the backing paper, whichis a second portion 114 of the target medium 108.

Referring now to FIG. 1B, there is illustrated an alternative embodimentof an optical sensor package 100 according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. In this embodiment, an LED 102 and photodiode 104are positioned near each other and a target medium 108 is passed overboth the LED 102 and photodiode 104, as indicated by the directionalarrow 110. In this embodiment, the LED 102 outputs light directedtowards the target medium 108, and the photodiode 104 detects lightreflected off of the target medium 108. As the target medium 108 passesover the sensor package 100 along directional arrow 110, the amount oflight reflected off of the target medium 108 changes depending upon thereflectance of the portion of the target medium 108 that is between LED102 and photodiode 104.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a control system of theoptical sensor package 100 according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The control system of FIG. 2 may be implemented as anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) executing logic toperform the actions indicated in the state machine of FIG. 3. However,the scope of embodiments may include any kind of logic circuit, such asa general-purpose central processing unit, executing machine-readablecode to perform the calibration and detection actions described herein.A power supply 202 provides power to the circuit. An oscillator 204produces a clock signal to provide timing for operation of the circuitof the sensor package 100. In some embodiments, the oscillator 204 mayprovide a high frequency clock signal, for example a 4 MHz signal. Abandgap voltage reference 206 produces a fixed voltage independent ofthe voltage supplied by power supply 202 and independent of temperaturevariations in the system. This fixed voltage is fed to other elements ofthe system that benefit from a fixed voltage, for example the oscillator204, the analog front end 208, the comparator 210, and the LED driver222.

Analog front end 208 receives analog signals from the LED 102 andprocesses them for comparison to a user-determined detection thresholdat comparator 210, as will be further described below. In someembodiments, the photodiode 104 is part of the analog front end 208,although it is understood that the photodiode 104 may be a discreteelement attached to the analog front end 208. Analog front end 208further includes a trans-impedance amplifier, an integrator stage, again stage, and a comparator with programmable reference generator. Thetrans-impedance amplifier serves to amplify the output of the photodiode104 to a voltage usable by the rest of the system.

The trans-impedance amplifier of analog front end 208 may have its owngain controlled by a bandpass filtered feedback loop to compensate forcurrent generated by the photodiode 104 in response to ambient light.The gain of the trans-impedance amplifier may be further controlled byan automatic gain selection circuit that automatically increases thegain of the trans-impedance amplifier during calibration depending onthe strength of the signal received by photodiode 104 from LED 102, aswill be further described below with reference to FIG. 4. The automaticgain selection circuit may also be provided with a gain level to use bythe state machine 226 if calibration has already occurred. In someembodiments, the automatic gain selection circuit may have 3 gainsettings although any appropriate number of games settings may be usedin some embodiments.

The integrator stage of analog front end 208 performs various functions,such as removing low frequency noise and power supply ripple,referencing the photodiode 104 signal to the bandgap reference voltage206, and generating a saw-tooth signal from the output (which may be apulse) of the photodiode 104, thereby decreasing the effect of bandwidthvariations in the output of the photodiode 104. The gain stage of theanalog front end 208 boosts the output signal to a level that is usefulat the comparator 210.

Comparator 210 receives the output of the analog front end 208 and apre-programmed reference level, and compares the two. The output stateof the comparator 210 changes based on this comparison. For example,when the output of the analog front end 208 exceeds the pre-programmedreference level, the output state may be a binary one or may be a binaryzero when the output of the analog front end 208 is below the referencelevel (or vice versa). In other words, the output state may change asthe output level of the front end 208 changes to either be above orbelow the reference level. The reference level may therefore serve as adetection threshold. In an embodiment, the pre-programmed referencelevel may be chosen by a user from a range of 16 available referencelevels (e.g., each reference level is about a 7% change from the nextreference level), although the scope of embodiments includes anyappropriate number of available reference levels.

The output of comparator 210 is passed to a filter 212. The filter 212serves to filter out changes in state of the comparator 210 that resultfrom events other than detection of the desired portion of the targetmedium 108. Such events may include ambient light incident on thephotodiode 104 that causes the analog front end 208 output to exceed thereference level at the comparator 210, electrical noise in the sensorpackage 100 that causes the comparator 210 to output a state change, orthe like. The filter 212 may require a state change to be seen at itsinput for multiple consecutive cycles before it passes the state changeto its output. In some embodiments, the filter 212 may wait until theinput is held at a changed state for an appropriate amount of clockcycles (e.g., 2 cycles) before outputting the state change. The statechange may be output to state machine 226 and to multiplexer 228, bothdiscussed further below.

Memory 214 stores various pieces of information used by the sensorpackage 100. In the present embodiment, memory 214 is an ElectronicallyErasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), but may be any othersuitable memory device. In one example, memory 214 storescomputer-readable code to be read and executed by the processorproviding the logic of state machine 226. In some embodiments, variouspieces of information related to calibration of the sensor package 100are stored in the memory 214 after calibration is performed, and thememory 214 is accessed by the state machine 226, as described below withreference to FIGS. 3 and 6, to retrieve the calibration information uponpowering up the sensor package 100. For example, the memory 214 maystore a drive level for the LED driver 222, an automatic gain selectionvalue for the trans-impedance amplifier gain of the analog front end208, a calibration bit (or flag) indicating whether the sensor package100 has been previously calibrated, an output type and polarity, adetection threshold for the comparator 210, an internal oscillatorcalibration factor for the oscillator 204, and a temperaturecompensation factor for the bias generator 224.

Communication interface 216 facilitates communication between the sensorpackage 100 and the user for functions such as calibration. Thecommunication interface 216 may, for example, be an interface to an I2Cbus. An external microcontroller that is controlled by the user mayconnect to the sensor package 100 via calibration status pin 218 andoutput pin 220. In an embodiment, inputs to the communication interface216 are received via the calibration status pin 218 and passed to thestate machine 226, which is further described below. Outputs arereceived from the state machine 226 and sent to the user microcontrollervia either the calibration status pin 218 or the output pin 220,depending on the type of output. Outputs of the communication interface216 sent to the output pin 220 may be multiplexed with the output ofcomparator 210 by multiplexer 228, as will be further described below.

LED driver 222 drives the LED 102 based on input received from the statemachine 226, which is further described below. The LED driver 222 may,in some embodiments, drive the LED 102 up to 95 mA at room temperature,although any appropriate maximum or minimum current may be used in someembodiments. As will be further described below, the LED driver 222 maybe controlled by outputs from the state machine 226.

Bias generator 224 may be a Proportional To Absolute Temperature (PTAT)bias generator that provides a current to the LED driver 222 based onthe internal temperature of the sensor package 100. The current suppliedto the LED driver 222 may cause the output of the LED driver 222 toscale in magnitude as the internal temperature of the sensor package 100changes. This may, for example, compensate for variance in the LED 102output due to changes in temperature.

State machine 226 manages the functions of various parts of the sensorpackage 100 automatically during power up and dynamically based on userinputs received via the calibration status pin 218. In the presentembodiment, the state machine 226 manages the function of variouselements including the memory 214, the communication interface 216, theLED driver 222, and the multiplexer 228. State machine 226 representsthe logic functions of the ASIC or other processor as it performs thecalibration process is described herein. Although a processor is notexplicitly shown as a hardware portion in FIG. 2, it is understood thatthe system of FIG. 2 may be embodied as an ASIC or other processor,including the inputs, outputs, and power terminals.

The multiplexer 228 receives inputs from the filter 212 and thecommunications interface 216, and multiplexes them to output pin 220.State machine 226 provides the selector input to multiplexer 228,thereby selecting which of the inputs are passed through multiplexer 228to the output pin 220. Normally, the output of filter 212 will beselected for output. This allows the user to read the processed outputof the photodiode 104 to determine whether or not a target medium hasbeen detected. In some embodiments, the user controller may send a readrequest to the state machine 226 (e.g., for calibration information frommemory 214), in which case the state machine 226 will retrieve therequested information from memory 214 and pass it through thecommunications interface 216 to the multiplexer 228, then select theinput from the communication interface for output from the multiplexerto output pin 220.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is illustrated a state diagram 300 forthe operation of state machine 226 according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. Upon powering on the sensor package 100, the statemachine 226 enters settle mode 302 for a period of time that allows thememory 214 to settle to a stable state. This period may be from about2.5 mS to about 26 mS for an EEPROM memory 214, depending on thefrequency of oscillator 204. However, it is understood that anyappropriate duration for the settle mode 302 may be used in variousembodiments. In settle mode 302, the calibration status pin 218 becomesan output from the state machine 226, and is set to a state thatindicates to the user microcontroller that the sensor package 100 is insettle mode 302. In some embodiments, the calibration status pin 218 maybe set to a low binary state (logical “0”) for this purpose. Afterallowing the maximum possible amount of time for the memory 214 tosettle, the state machine 226 may retrieve from the memory 214 theautomatic gain selection, which is provided to the trans-impedanceamplifier of the analog front end 208 to adjust the gain setting. Insome embodiments, there may be any appropriate number of potential gainsettings, and 2 or more bits in memory 214 may contain the automaticgain selection value. Retrieval of the automatic gain selection valuemay take from 10 microseconds to 102 microseconds, although in operationvarious embodiments may use any appropriate amount time.

After the settling period has ended and the automatic gain selectionvalue has been retrieved, the state may automatically transition tooperation mode 304. During operation mode 304, the calibration statuspin 218 becomes an input to the state machine 226 and the communicationinterface 216 is enabled to receive communications from the user. Insome embodiments, calibration status pin 218 may be pulled high (tological “1”) by an internal pull-up resistor while in operation mode304. The state machine 226 then reads from memory 214 a calibration flagwhich indicates whether or not previous calibration has occurred.

If the calibration flag is set (e.g., a flag bit is set to “true” orlogical “1”), then the state machine 226 transitions to LED driverenabled mode 306. The state machine 226 reads from memory 214 acalibrated LED driver level and enables the LED driver 222 to beginsending pulses at the calibrated level.

If the calibration flag is not set (e.g., the flag bit is set to “false”or logical “0”), then the state machine 226 transitions to LED drivernot enabled mode 308. In this state the LED driver 222 is disabled, andthe state machine 226 simply waits for a calibration request from theuser.

When a calibration request is received via the calibration status pin218 from the user (e.g., from the user controlled microcontroller) ineither LED driver enabled mode 306 or LED driver not enabled mode 308,the state machine 226 transitions to calibration mode 310. Whencalibration mode 310 is entered, the state machine 226 lets thecalibration status pin 218 return to being pulled up to high.Furthermore, the state machine 226 directs the memory 214 to clear thecalibration-related values (e.g., the LED drive level, automatic gainselection value, and the calibration flag), and allows time for thememory 214 to settle (e.g., about 5 mS).

The state machine 226 directs the calibration process, further describedbelow with reference to FIG. 4. After successful calibration, the statemachine 226 directs the memory 214 to store various calibration values.For example, the memory 214 may store the LED drive level resulting fromthe calibration, the automatic gain selection value used for successfulcalibration, and it may set the calibration flag to indicate successfulcalibration (e.g., to “true” or logical “1”). If calibration is notsuccessful, the state machine 226 may leave memory 214 unchanged.

After calibration has finished, whether successful or not, the statemachine 226 may transition into status mode 312. Calibration takes aknown amount of time. In the method of FIG. 4, for example, calibrationmay take about 10 mS. After the memory settling time and the calibrationtime have elapsed, which may take about 15 mS total, the user controllermay be programmed to look for a calibration complete signal during aselected window of time. If calibration has completed successfully, thestate machine 226 may drive the calibration status pin 218 low (e.g.,logical “0”) during the selected window to indicate to the user thatcalibration was successful. If calibration was not successful, the statemachine 226 may leave the calibration status pin 218 high (e.g., logical“1”) during the selected window. After the selected window has elapsed,the state machine 226 automatically transitions back to operation mode304 until further user input, such as another calibration request, isreceived.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a block diagram of amethod 400 for self-calibration of the sensor package 100 according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. For ease of illustration,reference will be made to an embodiment where the sensor package 100 isdesigned to detect a decrease in light received at the photodetector 104(i.e., to detect when the transmittance of target medium 108 increases).In this embodiment, calibration is performed with the most transmissiveportion of the target medium 108 in slot 106. It is understood thatcalibration may also be performed with the least transmissive portion ofthe target medium 108 in slot 106. It is also understood that otherembodiments may use a similar method to detect an increase in lightreceived at the photodetector (i.e., to detect when the transmittance oftarget medium 108 increases).

At block 402, a controller, such as the state machine 226, supplies areference level to comparator 210. As described above, the referencelevel may be pre-programmed by a user from a set of available referencelevels. In an embodiment described above, the device may have 16reference levels to choose from. For example, a user may direct thestate machine 226 to set the reference level to 7, and the state machinemay supply an appropriately scaled voltage signal to comparator 210.

At block 404, the state machine 226 applies an automatic gain selectionto the trans-impedance amplifier of analog front end 208. In thisexample, there are 3 possible levels of gain to choose from for theautomatic gain selection, and the state machine 226 begins calibrationat the lowest gain selection. The automatic gain selection serves toadjust the sensitivity of the analog front end 208 to light received atthe photodiode 104. The higher the gain, the more sensitive the frontend 208 is to outputs from the photodiode 104.

At block 406, the state machine 226 directs the LED driver 222 to rampup current supplied to LED 102 from a beginning current output, such as0 mA, to a maximum current output, such as 95 mA. In some embodiments,the LED driver 222 may be instructed to send current pulses to the LED102 while increasing current output in discrete steps, and to repeat thepulse at each current step a pre-programmed number of times. Forexample, the LED driver 222 may be instructed to ramp the current outputfrom 0 mA to 95 mA in 1000 steps, or levels, (therefore increasing thecurrent output by 95 microamps with each step), and to send the currentpulse to the LED 102 at each current step 5 times. The width of eachpulse may also be pre-programmed, and may be for example 250 nS. Theremay be a dead period, for example 150 nS, between each pulse, resultingin a period of 2 microseconds for each current step and an overallperiod of 2 mS to ramp through all 1000 steps. However, the number ofsteps, the amount of current, and the width of pulses may be differentin other embodiments.

At decision block 408, the state machine 226 monitors the output offilter 212 for a change in state of the output while the LED driver 222ramps up its current output to LED 102. As noted above, the referencelevel supplied to comparator 210 effectively serves as a detectionthreshold, and the filter 212 functions to filter out anomalousdetection of values exceeding the detection threshold due tointerference. Therefore, a state change in the output of filter 212indicates a successful detection of light exceeding the detectionthreshold of photodiode 104 as processed by analog front end 208. If theLED driver 222 ramps all the way to its maximum current output and thereis no successful detection, then the method 400 moves to decision block410. If there is a successful detection, the method 400 moves to block416. Each will be addressed in turn below.

At decision block 410, the state machine 226 checks whether theautomatic gain selection is at its maximum value. If the automatic gainselection is not at its maximum value, the method 400 moves to block412. If the automatic gain selection is already at its maximum value,for example it is at 3 out of 3 possible levels, then calibration hasfailed, and the method 400 moves to block 414. Each will be addressed inturn below.

At block 412, the state machine 226 increases the automatic gainselection at the trans-impedance amplifier of analog front end 208 inorder to increase the sensitivity of the analog front end 208. Forexample, if the automatic gain selection is set to 1, the state machine226 will increase it to 2. The method 400 then returns to block 406 andramps the current of the LED driver 222 again with the new automaticgain selection applied to the analog front end 208.

Returning to decision block 410, if the automatic gain selection is atits maximum value, then the method moves to block 414.

At block 414, the state machine 226 returns the system to normaloperation mode 304 as described above with reference to FIG. 3, andwaits for further user input such as another calibration request.

Returning to decision block 408, if there is a successful detection, themethod 400 moves to block 416.

At block 416, the state machine 226 outputs a calibration successfulsignal.

At block 418, upon successful detection, the state machine 226 reducesthe reference level at the comparator (or increases the reference level,for example when calibration is performed with the least transmissiveportion of target medium 108 in slot 106) by a pre-programmed amount toproduce an adjusted calibrated reference level, and to accordinglyintroduce a detection buffer amount in the adjusted calibrated referencelevel. In some embodiments, this pre-programmed amount may be suppliedby a user before calibration, and it may be around 10% to 25% of thetotal amount of reference levels. For example, the user may instruct thestate machine to reduce the reference level by 2 out of a total 16reference levels upon successful detection. The adjusted calibratedreference level reduces the detection threshold to create a detectionbuffer amount. Reducing the detection threshold introduces robustnessagainst missed detections due to variations in the system such asinternal temperature changes, changes in the path of the target medium108 through the slot 106, dust buildup on the optical componentsurfaces, etc. as described below with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

At block 420, the state machine 226 saves values resulting from thesuccessful calibration into memory 214 for future use when powering onthe sensor package 100. Stored values may include, for example, the LEDdrive level (e.g., level/step 650 out of 1000 possible powerlevels/steps) where successful detection occurred, the automatic gainselection at which successful detection occurred (e.g., 2 out of 3possible automatic gain selection levels), the adjusted calibratedreference level (e.g., 7 out of 16 possible reference levels), and a“true” flag that indicates the system has been calibrated successfully.

In one example embodiment, the LED drive level is selected from 1000possible current levels and uses 10 bits of memory 214 to store, theautomatic gain selection may be selected from 3 possible levels andrequires 2 bits to store, the adjusted calibrated reference level isselected from 16 possible levels and requires 5 bits to store, and thecalibration flag is selected from two possible values and requires 1 bitto store. After successful calibration and storing calibration values inmemory 214, the method 400 may move to block 414, which is describedabove, resuming normal operation mode 304.

Referring now to FIG. 5A, there is illustrated a graph 500 of the powerreceived at photodiode 104 as a percentage of power driven to LED 102.In this example, self-calibration with method 400 of FIG. 4 with themore transmissive second portion 114 in slot 106 has resulted in thenon-adjusted calibrated detection threshold 502 set such that 85% of thepower driven to LED 102 is received at photodiode 104 when the secondportion 114 of target medium 108 is between LED 102 and photodiode 104.Incidentally, when first portion 112 of target medium 108 is between LED102 and photodiode 104, 65% of the power driven to LED 102 is receivedat photodiode 104. Therefore, if the detection threshold were set tominimum detection threshold 504, the sensor package 100 would register asuccessful detection when either first portion 112 or second portion 114of target medium 108 is between LED 102 and photodiode 104, which is anundesirable result. Accordingly, the adjusted calibrated reference levelof block 416 of method 400 should be kept high enough to keep adetection threshold higher than minimum detection threshold 504.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, there is illustrated a graph 506 of the powerreceived at photodiode 104 as a percentage of power driven to LED 102after dust has accumulated on a lens of the LED 102. In this example,the debris on the lens causes the LED 102 to output 10% less power ascompared to operation with no dust on the lens at the same drivingcurrent. Accordingly, the power received at photodiode 104 is reduced byabout 10% as well. As a result, if the calibrated reference level is notadjusted (i.e., if the detection threshold remains 502), the sensorpackage 100 will be unable to detect the presence of the second portion114 of target medium 108 as the power received at photodiode 104 willnot exceed detection threshold 502.

The reference level can be lowered such that the detection threshold isset to detection threshold 508, in which case the sensor package 100will be able to successfully detect the second portion 114 of targetmedium 108 while discriminating from first portion 112 of target medium108. However, as this detection threshold 508 would be lower thanminimum detection threshold 504, it would result in undesirabledetections of first portion 112 (i.e., first portion 112 would bedetected when the sensor package 100 thinks it is detecting secondportion 114) if the debris is removed from the lens of LED 102.

Alternatively, the reference level can be lowered such that thedetection threshold is set to adjusted calibrated detection threshold510, in which case the sensor package 100 will be able to successfullydetect the second portion 114 of target medium 108 while discriminatingfrom first portion 112 of target medium 108 whether dust has accumulatedon the lens of LED 102 or not. In other words, sensor package 100 wouldregister successful detections over calibrated detection threshold 510when second portion 114 of target medium 108 is present between LED 102and photodiode 104 at a range of obfuscation of the lens of LED 102,while not registering successful detections over calibrated detectionthreshold 510 when first portion 112 of target medium 108 is presentbetween LED 102 and photodiode 104 regardless of lens obfuscation.

Accordingly, a user may test the transmittance of target medium 108 todetermine the difference between first portion 112 and second portion114, and may use the information gained to select the amount ofreduction in reference level to be applied at block 416 of method 400 toobtain an appropriate adjusted calibrated reference level. For example,as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, if there is a 20% decrease in the amount oflight detected at photodiode 104 when the first portion 112 is betweenLED 102 and photodiode 104 as compared to when the second portion 114 isbetween LED 102 and photodiode 104, then reducing the reference level bymore than 20% would result in the light detected at the photodiode 104always exceeding the detection threshold regardless of which portion oftarget medium 108 is between LED 102 and photodiode 104, as describedabove with reference to FIG. 5B.

It is understood that in some embodiments, the first portion 112 oftarget medium 108 may be more transparent or reflective than the secondportion 114 of target medium 108, and the conditions for detecting thedesired portion of target medium 108 may therefore be reversed. Theoptical sensor package 100 may be designed and calibrated to detect adecrease in opacity (i.e., an increase in transmittance ortransparency). For example, the sensor package 100 may indicate asuccessful detection when the light received at photodiode 104 increasesabove a detection threshold.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may include advantagesover prior solutions. Conventional optical sensor packages must bescreened after manufacture, as packages with too much variation in theirmanufacture cannot be used for sensitive applications. Optical sensorpackages that pass screening must still be manually calibrated for usein a particular environment. By contrast, the optical sensor package ofthe present application may be easily calibrated to account forvariations in manufacture and in the use environment.

Information and signals may be represented using any of a variety ofdifferent technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions,commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may bereferenced throughout the above description may be represented byvoltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles,optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

The various illustrative blocks and modules described in connection withthe disclosure herein may be implemented or performed with ageneral-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmablelogic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardwarecomponents, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functionsdescribed herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor,but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration).

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of calibration performed by a controllerof an optical detector system, the method comprising: causing a detectedpower at an optical detector to exceed an initial detection threshold byincreasing a power level of a signal generator; after the opticaldetector exceeds the initial detection threshold, storing in a memory anindication of a first power level of the signal generator, the firstpower level corresponding to the detected power exceeding the initialdetection threshold; adjusting the initial detection threshold to anadjusted detection threshold by applying from the memory apre-programmed amount to the initial detection threshold, wherein thepre-programmed amount exceeds a change in an amount of signal receivedat the optical detector from the signal generator, wherein the change iscaused by variations in the optical detector system; and storing theadjusted detection threshold in the memory.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the optical detector comprises a photodetector and the signalgenerator comprises a light emitting diode (LED).
 3. The method of claim1, wherein: adjusting the initial detection threshold includesdecreasing the initial detection threshold.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein: adjusting the initial detection threshold includes increasingthe initial detection threshold.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising, prior to increasing the power level of the signal generator,placing a target medium in a communication path between the signalgenerator and the optical detector.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving a calibration signal instructing the controller tobegin gradually increasing the power level of the signal generator. 7.The method of claim 1, further comprising: after storing the indicationof the first power level and the adjusted detection threshold, setting acalibration flag in the memory.
 8. An optical detector systemcomprising: means for generating photons; means for detecting photons;and means for calibrating the optical detector system by causing adetected power at the photon detecting means to exceed an initialdetection threshold by increasing a power level of the photon generatingmeans, storing in a memory an indication of a first power level of thephoton generating means, the first power level corresponding to thedetected power exceeding the initial detection threshold, adjusting theinitial detection threshold to an adjusted detection threshold byapplying a pre-programmed amount to the initial detection thresholdwherein the pre-programmed amount exceeds a change in an amount ofsignal received at the photon detecting means from the photon generatingmeans as caused by variations in the optical detector system, andstoring the adjusted detection threshold in the memory.
 9. The opticaldetector system of claim 8, wherein the photon generating meanscomprises a light emitting diode (LED).
 10. The optical detector systemof claim 8, wherein the photon detecting means comprises a photodiode.11. The optical detector system of claim 8, configured as a reflectivedetector system.
 12. The optical detector system of claim 8, configuredas a transmissive detector system.
 13. A computing device comprising: amemory containing a non-transitory machine readable medium comprisingmachine executable code having stored thereon instructions forperforming a method of calibrating an optical detector system; aprocessor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute themachine executable code to cause the processor to: ramp up an output ofa signal generator; detect that a received power at an optical sensorhas exceeded an initial detection threshold during ramping up theoutput; store in the memory an indicator of a first level of the signalgenerator corresponding to the received power exceeding the initialdetection threshold; generate an adjusted detection threshold byapplying an offset amount to the initial detection threshold, whereinthe offset amount exceeds a change in an amount of signal received atthe optical sensor from the signal generator that is caused byvariations in a system comprising the signal generator and the opticalsensor; and store the adjusted detection threshold in the memory. 14.The computing device of claim 13, the processor further configured toexecute the machine executable code to cause the processor to: receive,from a user, a detection threshold setting signal including the initialdetection threshold as a level of a plurality of discrete levels;receive, from the user, a calibration signal instructing the processorto begin ramping up the output of the signal generator; and receive,from the user, a threshold change signal including the offset amount.15. The computing device of claim 13, the processor further configuredto execute the machine executable code to cause the processor to: set again of an analog front end amplifier of the optical sensor prior toramping up the output; increase the gain at the analog front endamplifier in response to determining that the initial detectionthreshold has not been exceeded after ramping up the output of thesignal generator to a maximum output level; and increase a level of theoutput of the signal generator to cause the received power at theoptical sensor to exceed the initial detection threshold.
 16. Thecomputing device of claim 13, wherein the machine executable code toapply the offset amount causes the initial detection threshold to bedecreased.
 17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the machineexecutable code to apply the offset amount causes the initial detectionthreshold to be increased.
 18. The computing device of claim 13, whereinthe optical sensor comprises a photodetector and the signal generatorcomprises a light emitting diode (LED).